SANFORD, Fla. – The city of Sanford has been looking into how to get rid of a contaminant in its water supply for years.
Mayor Art Woodruff spoke with News 6 on Friday about how city officials worked to find the source of the 1,4-dioxane contamination and what they’re doing to make sure their water stays safe to drink.
“We really started looking at it in 2013 when the (Environmental Protection Agency) said, ‘We would like you to test for these additional chemicals,’ and we immediately shut down the one well that had some in it,” Woodruff said.
He added once the city learned about the presence of 1,4-dioxane in the water supply, they took steps to get the Florida Department of Environmental Protection involved. That happened long before an in-depth investigation by the Orlando Sentinel, highlighting the compound’s presence in Sanford, Lake Mary and parts of Seminole County, brought the topic into the forefront in recent weeks.
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“A lot of the news for it came from what the city was doing,” Woodruff said. “We were the ones talking to the (FDEP) about it. We were having public meetings about it.”
1,4-dioxane is classified by Florida’s Department of Health as a contaminant of concern and a “likely” human carcinogen.
The current EPA Health Advisory Level for 1,4-dioxane is 0.35 parts per billion. Florida’s Department of Health has adopted that standard for the state to ensure water is safe to drink.
Woodruff said samples from the water treatment plant in Sanford are consistently below that level. The city regularly tests the water to ensure it is consistently meeting state and federal standards.
Sanford has already taken steps to diversify water sources to ensure the 1,4-dioxane stays below safe standards.
“Our water is safe to drink. What we’re dealing with is the potential for what could happen, and we want to make sure we keep it safe,” Woodruff said.
The city hired its own experts, who traced the compound’s presence to a site on Rinehart Road that used to manufacture telephone parts. City officials hope the FDEP will soon be able to confirm what they’ve long suspected—that the 1,4-dioxane got into the Floridan aquifer from that source and higher concentrations of the contaminant could be found in Sanford’s water in the future.
Woodruff said while the city waits for the FDEP to make its own conclusion, officials are moving forward with their own plans to fix this. They hope to build a new treatment plant, similar to one built in Lake Mary, that would allow the city ensure the water stays safe.
But it’s a costly task.
“We’re looking at $60 to $70 million,” Woodruff said.
The mayor added the treatment plant would be paid for by several state and federal funding sources, but he believes whoever the FDEP establishes is responsible for the contaminant should be the one to pay for it.
Commissioners in Seminole County are also looking into what options they have for the future.
Earlier this week, the BOCC were given an update on the 1,4-dioxane found in the county’s water. They voted to send a letter to the EPA urging them to set national regulations.
“Unfortunately, the absence of standardized regulations for this element in drinking water leaves our communities vulnerable to its harmful effects,” Chairman Amy Lockhart wrote in the letter. “While the EPA has suggested a Health Advisory Level of 0.35 parts per billion, one of the lowest Health Advisory Levels nationwide, which the State of Florida has adopted, this guidance is non-binding. It lacks the enforceability necessary to protect our residents effectively.”
Seminole County and Sanford are now sampling their water monthly for 1,4-dioxane. Area leaders have also committed to being transparent with the community about its presence and what action they are taking.
You can read more about 1,4-dioxane and how the city of Sanford is addressing it by clicking here.
[READ THE FULL LETTER TO THE EPA HERE]
Seminole County commissioners letter to EPA by Sam Dunne on Scribd
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